Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-05-26
Dyspeptic Dawson Kills Him
self on the Street.
A STRANGER IN MEXICO AND A
NATIVE OF PIKE COUNTY.
Sickness for Years the Cause His Wife
and Son Frantic with Griei-The
Coroner's Inquest.

Dodge IltF, NAIL. ana ftPiS'titt at
the Roberts House. They had heard
Of the merits of the farming lands
in Audrain and wanted to locate here.
Friday, the 2lst, they moved TO the
Garner place on East Promenade
street, to remain till they could rent
farm. Monday morning, at s a. m.,
the son started to the country to rent
a farm, and at 9:30 the old gentle
man, aged about 80 years, came into
Billie Morris store with big revol-
yer over foot long, which he wanted
loaded. He had been there earlier
and got some cartridges, hut they
proved too small. so he brought the
pistol down and had them changed.
He also asked the price of q gun. but
finally bought the cartridges for the
pistol, which he wrapped up in his
handkerchief and walked cut of the
| store, auu Ms souii rs uo tuihe"
Pease's corner. going toward home,
shot himself through the stomach,
/ Just below the sternum or breast
bone. The bullet went clear through
coming out OF his back. Pack Green
and Thu, man, the blacksmith, saw
| the shot fired. they are ',ot GER
/ tain whether it was accidental or
suicidal, but further investigation
makes the latter almost certain. He
took the pistol out Of his handker-
chief as he walked along and placing
/ the muzz;e toward his stomach fired
without stopping. He fell to the
ground clutrhing the pistol, at the
| southeast corner of Pease's store.
| Pack Green ran to him and SAYS
! Dawson would have fired again If he
! had not forced him to give up his
pistol. The wounded man was re-
moved to the City Hail, where the
physicians took charge of him. }.
! B. Botkin sent word to his wife and
to the country for his son. His wife
was so Frustrated by the news that
/ she was unable to come down 10 see
him. She says for three years she
has feared something of this kind on
account Of her husbands i'll health.
He was sober and good man, but for
years has suffered horribly from
dyspepsia, splitting up what he ate,
and bis wife always watched him
during such spells There could have
been no cause except i'll health. The
doctors could do but very little for
the wounded man. except give HIM
an injection of brandy and morphine
| to alleviate his horrible sufferlngs
The blood poured out of the wound
at first es though ne might die in a
few moments, hut when the injection
| took effect he was easier and talked
in rambling way, even laughing.
He did not know be was shot, and
could not see why such crowd was
interested i'll him, and thought it all
must be a good joke about some
| thing, and V hat it was he appeared
TO want to understand. He was a
hard working man, and, We learn,
comes of good family. Sickness
for years has kept him miserable and
during one Of his blue spells he
thought to end his suffering. About
10 o'clock his son, B. G. Dawson, re.
turned from the Watts farm, south
of Mexico, which he had tried to
rent, and brought his mother down
to the City Hall. The husband was
conscious and it is useless for US
) to describe the scene that took place
heart-rending is no name for it. Hi!
son says for years his father has suf
fered from dyspepsia and told hi
: family that when he had one of hi
spells they ought to. send him to al
asylum. The wounded man was a
once moved to his home on stretch
er, and at IL a. III. be was able t.
talk tn his family about what h
wanted done about business matters
We Judge the family is most worth,
one, but in very poor circumstances
At p. IN. Dawson died in terrible
, agony. He told his wife and son tina
3 he was suffering so from dyspepsia
that he could not help shooting hlm
self He was member of the Tripi
Alliance and his family will get tn
insurance.
There is no shadow for the rumo
, that he and his wife had family fus
just before the shooting this morning
DR.. Cave, the Coroner, held the in
quest at 2:30 this afternoon
which resulted as follows:
THE VERDICT OF THE JURY.
We, the jury, after hearing the ev
idence and viewing the body believ
that the deceased, W. w. Dawson
came to his death by pistol sho
from his own hand with suicidal in
I tent. G. NJ. HAZARD, Foreman.
t G. RAGsDALE,
L. M. WooDs,
JAMES RAINEY,
e LAEE NEwKIRK,
4 w. &. PoTTs,
V Attest: E. S. CAVE, Coroner.
/. Eld. J. F. Smith says he has know
!. the family and baptized Mr.. Dawso
in Pike. He says they are good pee
- pie and disease was the cause of tn
Il trouble.